


ankles and hearts are fragile things

by sujiverse



Series: twice's slam dunk [1]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, the mandatory twice x basketball fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-07 08:23:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11055081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sujiverse/pseuds/sujiverse
Summary: where momo's a charmer and mina's the star point guard for the school's basketball team





	1. ankles

**Author's Note:**

> ;-)

"How strange it is that Myoui Mina is here, practising how to break ankles when all she needs is to give a look to make people fall for her."

 

Mina groans audibly, and barely looks up to see who the intruder is, knowing full well who it was. A grin threatens to break out on her face, but she holds it in. She'd never liked to give Momo the satisfaction of seeing her smile because of another one of her flirty one-liners. 

 

(It's not like Momo doesn't already know she likes them way more than she lets on.)

 

She finally completes her dribbling drill only to find that Momo is nowhere to be found. Wasn't she near the door? She scans the gym-

 

_Thump. Thump._

 

She turns around to find Momo, now dribbling- no, bouncing- a ball, with a blinding smile plastered on her face. She's actually baffled at how good she looks in just a plain black muscle tee and shorts, with a flannel hanging around her waist. Mina unconsciously pulls on the hem of her sweat stained jersey. _Oh, how the tables have turned._

 

It's not that she's not used to looking this disheveled in front of Momo, but damn it, why did she catch her midst practice? It's not like Mina cared if anyone watched her train, it's just.. this was Momo. Sweet, flirtatious, stupid Momo whom she likes very very much and who makes her palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy, there's vomit on her jersey already, _mum's spaghetti._

 

"Care for a 1on1 battle?" Momo cradles the ball in between her arm and waist, acting smug and tilting her head in mock judgement.

 

Mina almost giggles.

 

"You any good? I don't play with strangers unless they're good enough." She smirks, and she's almost certain she's got Momo almost as fired up as she is.

 

"So you call anybody you've kissed a stranger? Didn't take you to be so wild." Mina chokes at the memory, and she attempts a cough to hide the fact that she's flustered as fuck. She lost, already completely lost and they haven't even started playing the game. 

 

To hell with Hirai Momo, stupid, cute, utter asshole Hirai Momo whom she kissed (it was a peck on the lips) like once, by TOTAL ACCIDENT (during a stupid Pepero game) because of Sana that dumb fuck (or Mina's own lord and saviour??). 

 

Mina tries her best to roll her eyes after her little meltdown (oops) andthrows her own ball down to snatch the one Momo was holding.

 

"I hope you have an ice pack ready."

 

Momo grins ( _blindingly_ ).

 

They play and Mina wins because it was never much of a competition anyway, because this is Myoui Mina, who left her heart on the hardwood a long time ago and never walked away. 

 

"Gross, unfair, atrocious and ungracious behaviour you're showing. Are you even a sportsman? I thought it was always friendship first and competition second!"

 

"Momo, you asked for this." Mina doesn't bother hiding her smile anymore. 

 

"I did, yeah, literally. But STILL!" 

 

Momo's whining by now, it's a desperate move she pulls to make Mina laugh but it works because Mina lets out more giggles and her eyes are shut from laughing and Momo's legs are giving way again (but not because of Mina's crazy crossovers this time). 

 

The laughter dies down and for a split second they just look at each other (and Mina realises Momo is gazing at her as if she's the stars, however cliché that sounds, because Mina has seen how Momo looks at stars, and it's like this). Momo's certain she has never seen Mina like this before. A messy ponytail and a gentle smile, legs crossing and uncrossing, hands fiddling with the ball- _gosh, is she being shy because that's fucking adorable and very, very unfair! She's not even trying to look cute!_

 

"You up for round two?" Mina breaks the short-lived silence, shooting Momo a playful look. 

 

"Hell no. How about round one of dinner instead?" Mina raises an eyebrow in mock offense, like she thinks Momo's backing out of a fight when in fact she DEFINITELY wants to go out to dinner with her. 

 

"Look, I get that you're the star of the school team and all, genius on court, prodigy point guard, Stephen Curry's role model and you do have practice, but even MVPs need to eat right?" _Shit Momo you smooth fucker._ Momo doesn't know how she says it without stumbling, but she does and she's impressed by herself (because, to be fair, it's hard not to choke on your words in front of like, your crush).

 

"I'll spend the same amount of time that you took to find out who Stephen Curry is."

 

Momo lets out a sound that's kind of a whine but kind of a laugh too.

 

"Uh, 3 hours? It totally wasn't hard at all because the only basketball player I know is like, you." 

 

Mina lets out exactly two seconds of laughter before getting her act together. "McDonald's?"

 

"Fatty meat, soggy buns and unmelted cheese for burgers? I thought you were an athlete!" Mina raises her eyebrows, _are you really turning down McDonald's?_

 

So they do end up in McDonald's stuffing double cheeseburgers down their throat ( _to hell with food bans_ ), sitting across each other, legs touching and eyes meeting. Mina decides they really need to start talking to each other properly instead of just staring half the time, so a conversation about school starts and spirals into the most mundane things they already know, like if Momo's going to enrol in new dance academy nearby (she is), or when Mina's competition season starts (next month) or if they should get dessert (they never say no to dessert).

 

Mina has been trained to make good decisions on court by her coach, it's almost in her nature to make the right play, the right pass. So she doesn't know why she's sitting by the Han river at 12.41am, eating store-bought ice cream while watching Momo dance a new choreography she learnt. Momo looks even hotter than the stale summer air feels, and Mina has to look away before Momo does anything remotely provocative. 

 

_God, when did it become so hard to watch her dance?_

 

Momo notices, but doesn't say anything after the dance stops and she takes a seat beside Mina. "That was great, Momo", Mina finally breathes out. She recognised that look on Mina's face, she has it on every time Mina takes off her warm up t-shirt before games. 

 

_God, when did they become so damn thirsty around each other?_

 

It's no secret they like each other, certainly not to their friends (especially resident third wheel, third best friend Minatozaki "now kiss!" Sana). Momo wonders if anyone would read them if they were a story book, _it must be really frustrating._

 

But for now, Momo is content with playing (and losing) random pick up games against Myoui Mina, star player of the school team, genius on court, prodigy point guard and Stephen Curry's role model. And Mina is content with dinner, dessert, and dates by the Han river past her curfew, as long as it's with Momo. They sit in silence, flitting their gazes between the stars, the bright lights of the city and each other, and at some point someone (Momo) laces their hands together.

 

They let go only after Momo drops Mina off at her doorstep and Mina gives nothing but a small smile. Mina walks in and closes the door, and Momo feels a bit empty (like she always does saying goodbye to Mina) until Mina walks right out again with a kiss to her cheek and a "goodnight Momo" and suddenly Momo's back on the moon, delirious and dazed as she watches Mina retreat yet again into her home but now with the tiniest of smirks playing at her lips. 

 

 

_Oh, it would be a bestseller._


	2. hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> momo misses the cold weather, sweet drinks, dates by the han river and a certain point guard for her school's basketball team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ft. saida

Momo misses the cold weather. Cold weather meant snuggling under blankets, cuddling, hand-holding, drinking hot jasmine tea... (With a certain someone, who's at practice, because it's summer, and that means it's competition season.)

 

It's a rare school holiday thanks to the track and field team who did well enough to warrant the whole school a day off. _Clinching a new national sprint record AND bringing the school's first overall championship? Dang, Son Chaeyoung is good. Isn't she a freshman? Bless that kid._

 

The thirst that comes with the hot summer air is killing her, and she opens the refrigerator to get a drink. She reaches for the bottle of iced lemon tea, hesitating before turning and getting a glass of water instead. 

 

(Mina never liked when she drank too many sweet drinks.)

 

Talking about Mina... Student athletes like her unfortunately can't catch a break, and she has to train in the morning and afternoon even on a holiday, save for the quick lunch break she gets in between the two sessions. Momo wishes the grind would stop for just a day. _Poor Mina._

 

_Poor me._

 

She audibly sighs, and takes a gulp of the somehow bitter-tasting water. _Yucks_.

 

"So until when will you stop being a wimp and ask Mina to be your girlfriend?" Sana suddenly calls out from the living room.

 

Momo chokes on the water she's drinking. 

 

"Fuck off, we're basically… exclusive anyway," Momo replies an irritated "tsk", a few coughs, and an eye-roll later. She struts out of the kitchen to join Sana on the couch. "It's still competition season too, I don't wanna distract her more than I apparently already do."

 

Momo splays her legs across Sana's own, leaning back onto the soft cushions. The fan blows hot, stale air right at them, but it's the most comfortable Momo has been in ages. That really isn't saying much about her life in the past month.

 

(The cushions stink, and Momo can't help but remember how Mina kept their dorm smelling fresh with her jasmine perfume. When was the last time she came over?)

 

"I would ask you not to flatter yourself but she's dumb enough to stay out 3 hours past her curfew with you, so flatter away. I don't know what she sees in you really." Sana scrunches her face in mock disgust, but Momo is barely fazed. 

 

"We don't know what Dahyun sees in you either but, touché." Sana slaps her on the thigh and they both laugh. Mina's usually around the two of them, but being the Star Point Guard of the school's basketball team does mean that she probably has practice every day of the week, especially now that it's a crucial point in the season. Momo misses her company, though her absence means she gets more alone time with Sana. She was neglecting her roommate an awful lot with all the time she was spending with Mina.

 

(Not that Sana really minded being away from them too much actually. She'd rather spend time with them separately than together after noticing the really obvious (um, sexual??) tension between the two. Also, Dahyun's a pretty good distraction from her two closest friends, who are just y'know, casually in love with each other.)

 

"I heard from Jeongyeon that basketball practice ends at 5. Wanna go pick up our almost-girlfriends together? Dahyun should be out of swimming practice too.”

 

Mom snorts at the choice of words, punches Sana's arm lightly ( _abusive much?_ ) and nods anyway. 

 

_Mina? My almost-girlfriend? Hah, that'd be nice._

 

They finally get up when its almost time and walk to a convenience store nearby to stock up on the snacks they're running low on. Living in a dorm as foreign students meant being self-sufficient and independent, but Momo and Sana are none of those, so, instant food and ramen it is. 

 

After they're done, Momo grabs a chocolate bar for Dahyun and an isotonic drink for Mina. Sana literally got the same things, and the two best friends can't help but throw their heads back and laugh. 

 

They reach the school soon enough with two bags full of snacks each. Momo tries not to show it (as if Sana doesn't already know), but her heart is itching to see her _almost-girlfriend_ , and so she leaves (ditches) Sana to find Dahyun on her own. 

 

_Without anything more than a goodbye? That bitch!_

 

(It's understood between them anyway.  6.30pm at the jokbal stall across their dorm, no show means it's "date night" , "date night" means don't bother waiting up.)

 

Momo finds Mina sitting at the corner of the gym. She checks her watch- _5.10pm_ _, whoop!-_ and carefully walks in, trying not to make an entrance. Mina doesn't notice her, but the freshmen and sophomores do, and they scurry off after packing their things. 

 

"Who's that senior we always see around Mina-sunbae? I'm jealous, Mina-sunbae is literally the coolest." 

 

Momo acts like she didn't hear a thing _,_ resisting a smirk _. That would be me._

 

"It's her girlfriend, duh. They're both from Japan. Girl, get on with the news!"

 

There's that word again _, girlfriend_. Momo tries her best to not let her cheeks redden. _Boy is it hot in here, whew! I hate summers!_

 

_Fuck._

 

_Anyway, on to more important things..._

 

Mina's untying the shoelaces on her Kyrie 3s (which Momo knows the name of, only because Mina had fawned over them and Kyrie Irving himself, which led to a rather passive aggressive shopping session where Momo kept telling her to "go back to the US" and that "he'll never go shopping with you like I do", and Mina swears Momo had never looked more adorable, getting jealous over a bloody NBA player, _cute_ ). She watches as Mina opens her shoe bag, stilling, then shaking her head and palming her face.

 

_Myoui Mina, you idiot..._

 

“Flip-flop delivery!" Momo waves her occupied hand and strides towards her. She notices the brief shock on Mina's face as she looks up, and definitely doesn't miss the silver-tooth-showing, shit-eating, world-saving, heart-stopping, peace-making, Momo-killing grin that follows.

 

(One day, Momo's gonna forget how to breath and actually die. _Damn you, Myoui Mina._ )

 

"Always the saviour," Mina catches the drink Momo throws her, and the flip-flops Momo kept in her bag. “Thank you. How did you know?”

 

"Kind of guessed you would forget to bring along your flip-flops again." (Mina swears her heart swells after hearing this.) "By the way, you look dead."

 

"Gee, thanks." 

 

"I'm kidding, how are you?"

 

"Peachy, though it feels like ages since we had time for a meal together. I missed you. And Sana too, of course."

 

_Throwing Sana's name in there when we all know you missed me way more. Sneaky, Myoui, real sneaky._

 

"It's been a month, actually. I'm here to make sure that the MVP eats." 

 

Mina smiles at the little reference Momo made to the last time she'd asked her out to dinner. She has been too caught up with school and basketball to really spend time on anything or anyone else. _Has it really been a month? Wow, I must be a god for surviving this long._

 

There's little dramatics as Momo sits herself down in front of the clearly exhausted Mina. ( _Hm, still so effortlessly pretty.)_ Mina just stares at Momo blankly, mumbling an apology about how she's actually too tired to talk because her coach made them do suicides, and how she can't feel her legs. Momo doesn't mind, and fills up the silence, like she knows Mina would want her to. She catches her up on what she and Sana did the whole day, which was watching Netflix and literally trying to chill in the summer air, what she ate for lunch, what they bought at the store and how Sana's picking up Dahyun right now, and- wait.

 

“Do you want a massage? You look like you need one.” 

 

Mina sluggishly opens her eyes. _Shit, when did I close them? Momo was talking!_

 

"You and I both know that you'd rather not touch me after trainings," Mina states, pulling at her drenched jersey and running her finger down her sticky thighs to prove her point.

 

_Oh, you'll be surprised at how much you don't actually know._

 

Momo gets up wordlessly and closes in on Mina, causing her to flinch away in surprise. Momo's firm hands pull her right calf into her lap, locking her in place with her forearms, knuckles kneading right into her knotted muscles. She slaps at Momo's hands but even "don't touch me, you're getting yourself dirty!" can't stop her. She is a woman on a mission, and no amount of squirming and screaming would get in her way.

 

Mina eventually gives up trying to get Momo to stop. It actually feels really nice, like everything Momo does for her really, and she feels bad for not giving back as much as Momo gifts her. 

 

(Not that Momo minds, or thinks so, really.)

 

"You don't have to," Mina mumbles, when Momo moves on to her left calf. Momo raises her eyebrows, _you're really turning down a massage?_

 

Mina bites her lip and anticipates the pain as Momo gently sinks her knuckles into her left calf anyway. 

 

After what felt like eternity, Momo is done and she literally feels the soreness being lifted from her legs. She definitely feels better physically, but the guilt from not spending enough time with Momo yet allowing herself to receive so much nags at her. 

 

"Thank you."

 

"Don't mention it. You know you could always just ask me when you need something right?"

 

_God, why is Momo such a persistent idiot?_

 

"Well, I need dinner, and your stomach sounds like it does too. So, jokbal?"

 

Momo doesn't know why she's such a persistent idiot either, but she helps Mina up, packs up her bag for her, and sprints to turn the gym lights off before Mina can even say “do you even know where the switches are?”. 

 

Momo is unbothered, but Mina is too bothered to notice. She has a smile on her face, and though her hands are sore and her knuckles feel slightly bruised, she really doesn't mind. She has missed Mina terribly, ever since her season started a month ago. _That's a month since Han River, a month since we hung out! I must be a GOD to have survived this._

 

(Some things have happened since, none of which include Momo asking Mina to be her girlfriend, but they've pretty much solidified their place as an exclusive pair. Daily texts, passing glances in lectures, fleeting touches as they walk pass each other in the hallway... Painfully obvious if you asked anybody, really.)

 

Mina refuses to let Momo carry any of her things as they make their way to Momo's other love interest, jokbal. They stroll in silence, but Momo can't miss the way Mina responds with only a word, and hesitantly, to all her questions. 

 

She's just not feeling it.

 

"Something's bothering you. Was it your coach again? Your teammates?"

 

Mina shakes her head. "Everything's fine, the team's good. It's the semi-finals already."

 

"Wow, already? I'll go and support you. Send me the details!"

 

_There she goes again. Stupid, stupid Hirai Momo. Fuck you for being so sweet._

 

"Unless... You don't want me to?"

 

_You took too long to answer, idiot! Now she thinks she's at fault! FUCK, SAY SOMETHING SHE'S FROWNING!!!!_

 

"No! No, no... I'd love for you to come. Really. And thank you, for being so sweet. It's just... Ugh, why are you such an idiot?"

 

Mina stops walking suddenly, and Momo halts in her tracks as well.

 

"What?" 

 

_Sweet? Idiot? Me? What?_

 

"You're an idiot Hirai Momo! You're always doing so much for me. The most. Yet I'm always in the gym, and I don't know what I can do for you, when you do so much for me. And you still do it. Only an idiot would." Mina raises her voice at the end, clearly agitated.

 

Momo has never seen Mina so perplexed.

 

"I don't... What?"

 

"Stupid, stupid, stupid idiot!" Mina hits her on chest with each "stupid". She sounds...exasperated? 

 

_Idiot? Me?_

 

_Oh._

 

Momo is hit with realisation and Mina, literally, crying into her chest. 

 

_Fuck, I'm an idiot. Idiot with three "stupid"s attached to it._

 

"No, noooo don't cry Mina, please don't cry." Momo wraps her arms around Mina's shaking body. Her voice softens.

 

"You're the real idiot. I don't need anything from you, I don't think I ever will," Momo's tearing a bit too, but she continues, willing her voice to be steady. "I just want to have dinner with you right now. Spend time with you. Grant me that without feeling bad, please." 

 

"I'm sorry," is all Mina can choke out.

 

"Don't be, please don't be. Because I don't feel sorry at all when I get to spend time with you... Star of the school team, genius on court, prodigy point guard, Steph Curry's role model... _"_

 

_Shit Momo, nice one! You haven't lost it. Still a smooth fucker._

 

Mina's laughing while crying now, _that's a win!_ She can't help but feel dumb because Momo likes her, really likes her, and she likes her too, truly does. She can't believe she ever doubted that there was anything she could give Momo, because there always is. Mina holds her tightly ( _I'll never let go, she's a fucking keeper_ ), feeling as light as her calves did after the massage. She doesn't understand relationships yet, but she does know that in this moment, she has all but fallen harder for the girl in front of her.

 

_(Is this how love works?_ )

 

_(Maybe. We'll figure it out_ _together.)_

 

Later, they sit opposite each other in the cosy stall, legs touching, eyes meeting, fingers interlocking. They look ridiculous, sitting on stools with half-dried eyes and unkempt hair. But it's still sickeningly sweet, Momo thinks. 

 

(Unlike the drinks her _almost-girlfriend_ always tells her not to drink, more of this sugary goodness isn't bad for her. Not in the slightest. _)_

 

They wait till 6.35pm to make sure that Sana (and Dahyun) isn't coming, before placing their orders. 

 

And in almost clockwork fashion, they talk, they stare, they joke, they finish their food, they stroll along the Han River, they make theories about where Sana is, they stargaze, they dance, they buy ice-cream, they laugh at the mess Momo makes, they hold hands, Momo walks Mina home, gets a kiss on the cheek, and goes back to the dorm alone, but definitely not lonely. It’s 1am already when Momo reaches the dorm, with a content smile and an aching heart. 

 

Still not girlfriends. But they'll figure it out _,_ together. 

 

 

_Bestsellers aren't written in a day, right?_

 

_//_

 

 

_2.34am_

_[sanakekekeke] momo r u awake_

_[dancing mochine] no_

_[dancing mochine] y r u still not home_

_[sanakekekeke] thank fuck youre awake_

_[sanakekekeke] i was doing something important_

_[dancing mochine] at 2am? what the hell u doing?_

_[sanakekekeke] ...... my girlfriend ....... kim dahyun ........_

_[dancing mochine] WHEIAKANSINWKAS I FKING HATE YOUDBSJSBSJ SHSB_

_[dancing mochine] dahyun IS A MINOR_

_[sanakekekeke] i was kidding boi we were just strolling_

_[sanakekekeke] i sent her home at 9pm_

_[sanakekekeke] wasnt kidding abt the girlfriend part tho xD_

_[sanakekekeke] POINT IS im lost idk if this is bucheon or busan send help_

_[sanakekekeke] but you fucking wimp i bet you havent asked mina and youre still single HAH_

_[sanakekekeke] sana 1, momo 0_

 

_2.36am_

_[dancing mochine] ........................_

_[dancing mochine] …………..…………….._

_[dancing mochine] u can spend the night outside_

_[dancing mochine] annyeong_

_[dancing mochine] bitch_

_[sanakekekeke] aNnyEOnG BitCH_

 

_2.39am_

_[sanakekekeke] ok no come back_

_[sanakekekeke] nUUUUUUu momo my best friend of five whole years_

 

_2.40am_

_[sanakekekeke] okay i deserved that_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fictional mimo is the reason my teeth are rotting

**Author's Note:**

> jjirit jjirit jjirit jjirit this was a joy to write hehe


End file.
